Pakistani boy undergoes kidney, liver transplant in Noida

A nine-year-old Pakistani boy underwent successful kidney and liver transplant surgery here after his relatives donated the body organs. Amaar Asif was suffering from primary hyperoxaluria (excessive urinary excretion of oxalate) which leads to the formation of kidney stones. 'The child was in pain for the last five years. Over time, he became extremely weak and unable to even do routine activities. As a result, his education also suffered. We are glad that the child will soon be able to go back to his daily activities' said Dushyant Nadar, senior urology consultant at Fortis Hospital in Noida. (Read: Robotic kidney transplants with kidney cooling techniques in India now)

The kidney was donated by Amaar's paternal uncle while the liver donor was his maternal uncle. The treatment was sponsored by the Pakistani government. 'We are grateful to the doctors at Fortis who have given a new life to my grandson. Finally, Amaar will be able to play, go to school and lead a normal life,' said Amaar's maternal grandfather Mubarak Haider. (Read: 50-60% of liver transplant patients in India are from foreign countries)

How is the liver 'transplanted'?

The donor and recipient operations go on together. The patient's own liver is removed. Meanwhile the donor liver (part of it in case of living donor transplants) is removed. The donor liver is flushed with a preservative solution and the blood vessels and bile duct are prepared for joining to the patient's blood vessels and bile duct. This often involves extending the blood vessel with a vein graft. The donor liver is then implanted in place of the recipient's liver by joining the corresponding blood vessels and bile ducts.

What about the donor after he/she has donated? Can he/she lead a normal life?

The risk to the donor from the operation is 0.1 to 0.5% depending on how much of the liver needs to be removed. The hospitalization is typically 1 week. It takes about a month before the donor feels recovered enough to return to work. For 3 months the donor has to avoid lifting heavy weights as with any abdominal surgery. Long term problems are rare but hernias can occur and some donors have had intestinal obstruction due to the intestine getting stuck to the scar of surgery. These can occur after any abdominal surgery. Life is otherwise normal. There are no medicines in the long term and no dietary restrictions. Beyond 3 months there are no restrictions on activity either. Read more about Liver transplants: Frequently Asked Questions answered by a renowned liver transplant surgeon

What is a kidney transplant?

Kidneys play a very vital role in maintaining a balance in the body. Their main function is to act like a filter and remove the excess fluid and waste from the blood. When they lose this ability, it leads to a build-up of fluids and waste in the body, which can be fatal. This condition is commonly known as kidney failure and requires a kidney transplant. Basically, a surgery is performed to replace a person's malfunctioning or faulty kidney. Often this is the best treatment for kidney failure, and only one donated kidney is enough to replace two failed kidneys. Till the person finds a suitable donor, the patient is kept on dialysis.

When is a kidney transplant required?

The most common cause for a kidney transplant is end-stage kidney failure (due to diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure and glomerulonephritis which is an inflammation in the filtering units of the kidney called glomeruli). However, other factors like congenital deformities (deformities in the kidney by birth) may also make them necessary. The disease is first treated with lifestyle changes, medication etc, but if the condition progresses, a kidney transplant will be required. Read more about Things you should know about kidney transplants

With inputs from IANS

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